This blue teapot might have been commissioned by the family of Cheang Hong Lim, as evident from the mark of生 苑, or Wan Seng, Cheang’s other name and also the name of his company. Cheang Hong Lim (1825-1893) was highly regarded in the Singapore Hokkien Chinese/Peranakan community as a merchant and philanthropist. He was appointed Justice of Peace in 1876 and contributed generously to the funding of temples and charitable causes. Two places in Singapore are named after him including Cheang Wan Seng Place and Hong Lim Park. He was described as “one of the best-known members of the whole Chinese community in Singapore” in a 1893 Straits Times report on his death.
